Director Matt Wolf spent two years interviewing Paul Reubens for his new HBO documentary “Pee-Wee as Himself,” not realizing that the actor was dying of cancer.
As he told TheWrap at Sundance earlier this year, “I did have the sense that Paul was motivated to tell his story in a way he hadn’t been before, that it was going to be challenging for him, but that he threw himself into that process and was fully committed to being himself on camera in a way that was totally uncomfortable and something he had never done.”
“The idea that these would be the last words that he would share publicly with the world was completely off my radar,” he continued.
Here’s how to watch the two-part documentary about the Pee-wee Herman star.
When will “Pee-wee as Himself” be on Max?
It premieres Friday, May 23, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on HBO and Max.
How many episodes are there?
“Pee-wee as Himself” is a two-part documentary. Both episodes premiere on May 23.
Part One, which follows Reubens from his childhood through the creation of Pee-wee and his breakout with the 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” premieres Friday, May 23, at 8:00-9:40 p.m. ET/PT.
Part Two follows immediately, debuting at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT. It covers casting, production design and the creative process behind his Emmy-winning series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” which ran from 1986 to 1990 on CBS. It also features the actor’s final interview before his death in July of 2023.
What is “Pee-wee as Himself” about?
The documentary is about the late Paul Reubens and his alter-ego persona, Pee-wee Herman.
Who else is in the documentary?
The film features interviews with filmmakers Tim Burton and Judd Apatow, actors Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman and Cassandra Peterson, artists Gary Panter and Wayne White and Reubens’ sister Abby Rubenfeld.
